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ARCHETYPES

by Don L. F. Nilsen andAlleen Pace Nilsen

•Part I

•The Journey: An Overview

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THE ROMANCE

Northrup Frye says that the Romance presents an idealized world, the black-and-white world of our desires, where good things are really good, and bad things are really bad.

The Romance involves the Journey, and the Journey involves the Hero, the Villain, the Quest, the Sage, the Prohibition, the Sacrifice, the Dragon, the Treasure, and sometimes the rescue of the Maiden.

The epiphany (mountain top, tower, island, lighthouse, ladder, staircase, Jack’s beanstalk, Rapunzel’s hair, Indian rope trick etc.) connects Heaven and Earth.

Short Journeys and The Romance

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Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy

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THE HERO

In archetypal hero tales, the hero, usually a young person identified as having “special” qualities, sets out on a journey—either real or metaphorical.

The young person does not know what is in store and has probably not made a conscious decision to embark on “the quest.”

Nevertheless, when challenges come, the young hero meets and overcomes them, often making some kind of a sacrifice in exchange for wisdom. A common motif is that help will come from an unexpected source, perhaps from an older and wiser person or from a supernatural source.

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STAGES OF THE JOURNEY

The stages of the journey (listed below) can be seen in many of the quest stories and can also be compared to one’s own life.

The Shadow Archetypes result from hyperbole, from developing protagonists’ characteristics to such an extreme that they become a negative force as when the caregiver turns into the overprotective mother or the lover into the jealous controller preventing or marring the process of development.

ARCHETYPES FROM CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

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PREPARATION FOR THE JOURNEY

INNOCENT: ARCHETYPE: Security, Acceptance, Disillusionment, OptimismSHADOW ARCHETYPE: Denial, Repression, Blame

ORPHAN:ARCHETYPE: Abandonment, Accepting Help, Against AuthoritySHADOW: Cynicism, Victimization

WARRIOR:ARCHETYPE: Fighting for Self, for Others, and for IdealsSHADOW: Ruthlessness, Fighting to Win

CAREGIVER:ARCHETYPE: Self-Sacrificing, “Tough Love,” ResponsibilitySHADOW: Martyrdom, Guilt-Inducer

Five Archetypes (Factions): Abnegation (Selfless), Amity (Peaceful), Candor (Truthful), Erudite (Intelligent) and Dauntless (Brave)

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THE JOURNEY ITSELFSEEKER:

ARCHETYPE: Exploration, ExperimentationSHADOW: Perfectionism, Inability to Commit

DESTROYER:ARCHETYPE: Confusion, Acceptance of Chaos, Letting GoSHADOW: Destructiveness of Self and Others

LOVER:ARCHETYPE: Following Love, Bonding, CommittingSHADOW: Envy, Fixation, Don Juanism

CREATOR:ARCHETYPE: Visionary, Creator of Own EnvironmentSHADOW: Creators of Negative Situations

The Journey

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The Wizard of Oz, The Life of Pi, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and James and the Giant Peach

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THE RETURN FROM THE JOURNEY

• RULER:– ARCHETYPE: Responsibility for Self & Others, Good of

Planet– SHADOW: Ogre, Tyrant

• MAGICIAN:– ARCHETYPE: Making Dreams Come True– SHADOW: Turning Positives into Negatives

• SAGE:– ARCHETYPE: Searching for Truth– SHADOW: Insensitivity, Critical Judgment

• WISE FOOL:– ARCHETYPE: Living for Fun, Living in the Moment– SHADOW: Self-Indulgence, Gluttony, Sloth

It’s the Journey—not the Destination

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Journeys can be Toward, or Away From…Into the Woods, The Prodigal Son, Exodus

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Here are nine more archetypes to consider.

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Here are two good books fur further reading about Archetypes.

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